Smell Of Leather

[Gudini]

Hello friends! Please tell me. Is there a means to the smell of leather? Liquid or spray for final processing of leather with a faint odor.

[Tramps Leatherworking]

So why does leather have that strong leather smell? Should it smell at all? Is there a bad smell you should be careful of? Well I’ll try to answer those questions in a short and sweet way! Anyone who has gone into a leather store has noticed the smell of leather. For most people it’s a pleasant smell.

Leather is organic, it use to be living, as it was the skin of an animal. Anytime you take a hide from an animal it starts to break down. Now, if you just let a hide rot in the air, it would smell, but not in a good way! It would smell just like a dead animal, maybe not quite as bad. When they make leather they start treating it as soon as the hide is off the animal.

There are many steps in treating a leather hide. You need to preserve the hide so it does not start to rot, like it naturally would. You also break down the fibers a bit so it is not really stiff. All the dyes, treatments, leather bathes and chemicals most leather goes through all have their own smell.

Because all these liquids soak into the hide, they leave their own smell, mixing in with the leather smell. So some leather may smell stronger than others, depending on how it was treated. Some leather has almost no smell at all, while others always seem to have a strong odor. Leather also breathes, and always is letting out a little bit of the animal hide smell.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Tramps Leatherworking

[Northmount]

Several times I have had people hold an item up to their nose that has just been finished with a lacquer type finish and say how much they love the smell of the leather. All they can smell at that point is the lacquer and solvents.

I have had leather with a real bad smell, almost sickening. Had to treat it with saddle soap, work the soap in with water, rinse it off well, and leave it to dry and air out for a few days.

So when someone says they love the smell of leather, I always wonder what they are really smelling. Maybe a wet dog with some lacquer spray in the air would be perfect for some.

I really think for some people, it's all in their head. For others, they know the real smell of leather, not just the finish or wax.

Tom

[billybopp]

http://www.amazon.com/Trinity-Candle-Factory-Leather-Fragrance/dp/B002ZLK9T4/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1414942998&sr=1-3

[cradom]

I once knew a girl (who worked for Tandy) who sweared she could smell the difference between Mexican leather and US leather.

I cant, sinus problems. Is there a difference? Do they process it differently? Does it really matter?

[Gudini]

Thank you all my friends!

[Hennessy]

there was a time when a lot of mex leather was tanned in urine .hence th bad smell.i'm sure that this tanning goes back to spain.morocco was a portugeese creation and i bet they used urine too going by th smell associated with ''moroccan'' stuff i've observed .

[johnv474]

Among veg tanned leathers, the particular barks that are used (e.g. oak, quebracho, etc.) vary from region to region. Even before veg tan develops a patina from exposure to the sun and so forth, these leathers will have different colors and smells. Central American leather may smell different than South American, and Italian could smell different than US, just depending on what is used in tanning. This would depend on what trees are native to the area (vs importing the bark, etc.). When we order in leather soles for shoe repair, you can see/smell a difference. I believe oak gives a yellowish tinge, quebracho gives a pinkish tan, and another one (hickory) gives an orange-ish tan. In our veg tan scrap bins I see definite oranges, browns, tans, pinks,and yellows.

[NVLeatherWorx]

To answer your question cradom about is there a difference and does it matter, I offer these words. Regarding the differences, the method of tanning does indeed make a difference when it comes to how well the leather will "case" which ultimately makes a difference in how well the leather will stamp/carve & tool. It also makes a big difference in how well the leather will absorb the dyes/stains, oils, and finishes. Regarding your question about whether it matters or not, the answer there is simple but will vary based on the leatherworkers standards. No matter what tannage you decide to go with, stick with that one brand across the board with your veg-tan. Being as we know that each method creates different results the last thing you want to do is mix leathers that will have different shades and finished appearance that could create that patchwork look that is not very appealing. Now I am sure someone in here is going to find a rebuff for what I just put out here but I have made sure that over my years in this trade that I have actually learned the true differences in the methods and the results, and not from YouTube or any of those other sites where you can extract "personal opinion information". My learning has been provided by the Masters of this trade before me, the Tanneries themselves, and the Chemists who create these recipes based on product available and the desired outcomes. In other words, true professional education.

For those who rely on Tandy for their source of leather (as well as most bargain brand/quality veg-tan), your leather is tanned in either Mexico or some other South American country and their primary tanning blend is Quebracho. It gives the finished product a pinkish look when you case it and, when properly cased, will give you a decent burnish when stamped and tooled. It accepts dyes pretty good but with one caveat: if you didn't case the entire piece of leather you will be able to see the difference between the original color and the now pinker color of the cased area. This also creates an issue when finishing where you will have a two-tone effect because of the way the base color has been changed. This is caused by the cell structure having been altered in the cased area which has now constricted a bit more so it absorbs the dye/stain differently.

I have always used a pure Oak tannage for my works and that pretty much only comes from either Wickett & Craig or Hermann Oak, and they are both right here in the U.S.; their blends use true Oak and give you a beautiful russet color which remains consistent throughout the use of the leather. It is darker when cased but it returns its russet color when dried. Their leather absorbs dyes evenly regardless of whether the entire piece was cased or only a section where the stamping/tooling has been applied. You also get a much better and darker burnish when stamping/tooling the leather (and that is what you want) and the quality of their leathers is far superior to those available as bargain/value products.

Not trying to knock Tandy on this because they make it easy for someone to get into this trade at a reasonable price. For a maker/leatherworker that is serious about the product that they make and the quality of the materials being used, they are not the source that you should be going to. Furthermore, none of their staff actually know anything about leatherwork (you might find one or two here and there but this isn't their staffing model anymore) and can only tell you what they have been taught in their training classes, much the same as any salesman in any other industry; they don't know anything other than what the company or manufacturer sales pitch is. Sorry, but that is the truth and that is from the mouth of a Tandy store manager that I know very well. Ever wonder why most of the classes taught in their stores are actually taught by a non-employee? Here is your answer.

[eglideride]

A few years ago I was in a factory that "tanned" leather for automotive upholstery. Mostly automated plant with large oak barrels that were spun on rollers...On of the tech's there told me that each car mfg. required a different "smell", For instance- they had some grey leather for Cadillac they had just finished. He then showed me 50 gallon steel drums of "fragrance". Pretty interesting- I wish I had more time to ask questions and learn- but I was there on another matter...

[leatherwytch]

I love the smell of leather. I love the smell of cattle and horses. I don't love the smell of; glue, paint or lacquer.